Lubricating apparatus



Sept. 13, 1938. c. G. BUTLER LUBRICATING APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 19I 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l mmunmmmu."

Sept. 13, 1938. c. G. BUTLER LUBRICATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 19, 1923 1Z0 Y I6 ,1.12 tl ZZ@ IIIIIII r n f D d n W w uw w Ressued Sept. 13, 1.938

UNITED STATES l 20.852 LUBRICATING APPARATUS Clydev G. Butler, Cincinnati, Ohio, assigner, by

mesne assignments, to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation of Virginia Original No. 1,593,791, dated July 27, 1926, Serial No. 619,909, February 19, 1923. Application for reissue May 1,2, 1938, Serial N0. 207,571

2 Claims.

My invention pertains to lubricating apparatus, and particularly to lubricating apparatus comprising nipples permanently attached to the bearings of automobiles and other machinery and a compressor provided with a coupler for detachably and successively connecting the compressor with the nipples on the automobiles or other machinery.

The object of my invention is to provide a coupier which is automatically actuated by the lubricant pressure created in the compressor to form a sealed interlocking engagement with the lubricant-receiving nipples attached to the bearings of the automobile or other machinery.

Referrings to the drawings,

In Figures l-A and l-B 1 have shown in longitudinal section one form of lubricating apparatus embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure l-A looking in the direction of the arrows and showing one end of the piston;

Figure 3 is a, section on the line 3-8 of Figur l-A looking in the direction of the arrows and showing a plan view of the self-sealing end of the lubricant compressor;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the nipple shown in Figure l-B;

Figure 5 is a view partly in section of a bearing and shackle therefor showing the manner in which the nipple is applied thereto. The particular bearing and shackle shown in this view has a lubricant reservoir and automatic means for feeding the lubricant from the reservoir to the bearing surfaces; and

Figure 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing one way of rigidly connecting my novel coupler to a lubricant compressor.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I lhave shown in Figure l-A a lubricant compressor having a cylindrical' barrel I8 in which there is mounted a piston I2 which can be moved longitudinally of the barrel lli by means of a threaded piston rod I4 attached to a suitable handle i6. The piston rod i4 is in threaded engagement with a nut I8 which in turn is screwed into a collar 2li forming a part of the head 22 suitably secured to one end of the barrel Il as by screw threads 24.

The piston I! comprises a pair ot opposed leather cup washers 26 located between a pair of spring washers Il having teeth 88 forpressing the flanges of the` cup washers against the inside of the cylindrical barrel I8. The leather cup washers 26' and the spring washers 28 are supported by a pair ofrigid washers 82 clamped between the ange I4 of a collar 86 and a nut 88.

The nut 38 also serves to hold the collar 36 in engagement with the shoulder 40 forming a part ofthe piston rod I4. The nut 38 is castellated and a cotter pin 42 is provided to hold the nut in place.

The discharge end of the barrel Ill is provided with a. cap 44 having an internally threaded ferrule 46 for attachment to one `end of a discharge conduit. The joint between the barrel I8 and head 44 is sealed by a leather washer 48 having a flange terminating in a tapered edge 50 for engagement with the interior of the barrel. The washer 48 is retained in place by ay collar 52 closely iitting about the ferrule 46.

In Figures l-TA and 1-B, I have shown the compressor as being provided with a flexible discharge conduit or hose 54, whereas in Figure 6 I have shown the compressor as provided with a rigid discharge conduit which I shall hereinafter describe. One end oi.' the flexible hose 54 is provided with a fitting 56 adapted 'to screw into the ferrule 46 andthe other end of the flexible hose is attached to my novel coupler 58 which is adapted to forni an interlocking and lubricant-tight connection with a nipple 60.

As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, the 'nipple 60 comprises a tubular body which is threaded at its outlet end, as indicated at 62, for attachment to a bearing part, such, for example, as the shackle bolt 64. The part 66 of the nipple body is given a hexagonal or other nut-like shape whereby a wrench may be applied to the nipple to screw it into the bearing part. The inlet end of the nipple constitutes a head 68 terminating in a shoulder 10 leading to the throat 12.

The lubricant passage through lthe nipple is normally closed at its inlet end by a valve 14 which is urged against its seat by a spring 16 resting on a flange 18 forming a part of the tubular body of the nipple. It will be understood that when lubricant is injected into the nipple. the valve 14 moves inwardly under the force exerted by the lubricant thereon and thus permits the lubricant to ow into the passage through the nipple and to the bearing surfaces.

My novel coupler is best shown in Figure l-B and comprises a cylinder 88 provided with,a cap 82 having an opening 84 for receiving the inlet end ot a nipple. A piston 86 is reciprocably mounted in the cylinder 88 and comprises a. metal base 8l, a cup-shaped leather sealing washer 88, and a metal washer 82, all held together by the flange I4 on the tubular extension 86 of the base I8. i i

The extension 88 has an aperture 98 through which lubricant can iiow to the interior of a cylindrical extension Ill projecting forwardly from the base I8. A leather sealing gasket |22 is reclprocably mounted in the cylindrical extension lill between the base 8l and a shoulder I and is acted upon by the lubricant pressure to form a lubricant-tight seal with the inlet end of the nipple 60.

The right-hand end of the cylindrical extension |00 is tapered as indicated at |06 and acts upon the correspondingly tapered portions of locking jaws |28 toforce them into engagement with the throat 12 of the nipple, the cap I2 serving to limit longitudinal movement of the jaws Ill under the force exerted thereon by the extension |00. 'Ihe right-hand end of the cylindrical extension IIIII may be slitted longitudinally to form spring fingers capable of compensating for nipples having eccentric throats.

When the compressor shown in Figure l-A is empty and the piston is in advanced position, the compressor may be rapidly illled with lubricant in the manner which I shall now describe: 'Ihe nut I8 is rst unscrewed from they collar 20 and the coupler of the compressor is then immersed in a source of lubricant. 'Ihe piston I2 can then be retracted by a longitudinal pull on the handle y I8, thereby drawing lubricant into that part of the barrel II which is to the right of the piston I2 and expelling air from the left-hand side of the piston through the opening h etween the piston rod Il and the collar 20. After the compressor has been filled with lubricant, the nut Il is screwed down on the piston rod toward the piston I2 and is again engaged with the collar 2li. The compressor is now in condition to perform the lubricating operation.

In order to connect the lubricant compressor with the nipple attached to the bearing to be lubricated, it is only necessary to push my novel coupling 5B over the end of the nipple GII. 'Ihe handle I8 of the compressor may then be rotated to discharge lubricant from the barrel i0 under high pressure. The lubricant thus discharged from the barrel III ilows through the exible hose 54 to the cylinder 8l where it acts upon the lefthand side of the piston 88 to move it toward the right, due to the fact that lubricant will be forced into` the cylinder 8|! at a greater rate than it can flow through the relatively small aperture 98 in the piston. This forward movement of the piston 86 causes the jaws IUI to grip firmly about the throat of the nipple and thus forms an interlocking engagement between the coupler and nipple.

'Ihe lubricant owing through the aperture 98 in the piston 88 enters the space behind the leather gasket |02 and moves .it toward the right until it seals firmly against the end surface of the nipple 60. Thereafter lubricant flows through the opening in the leather gasket |22, displaces the valve 14 at the inlet end of the nipple, and iiows into and through the nipple to the bearing surfaces. The gripping action of the jaws |08 under the force exerted thereon by the piston Il is maintained as long as lubricant pressure exists in the coupler. After the lubricating operation has been completed. it is only necessary to relieve the lubricant pressure in the compressor and coupler in order to permit ready removal of the coupler fromv the nipple.. In the particular compressor shown. such release of pressure can be accomplished by screwing backwardly on the handle It to retract the/piston I2. Thereafter the coupler .can be easily withdrawn from the nipple Il. As

the couplerV is withdrawn, the Jaws Ill move radially outwardly and cause the piston Il to move to the left as viewed in Figure l-B to permit this outward movement of the Jaws III.

From the foregoing description ci the operation of one formof .lubricating apparatus embodying my invention, it will be seen that I have provided a coupler which may be readily applied to and removed from a nipple and wherein the gripping and sealing functions are performed automatically by the lubricant pressure created by the luof its spring I Il. After the reservoir ||0 has been completely filled and the compressor and coupler disconnected from the nipple 60, thef valve 'M in the nipple prevents escape of lubricant from the reservoir by way of this nipple. The lubricant in the reservoir lill is thus constantly subjected to the pressure exerted thereon by the piston ||2 and spring II'I which serves to force lubricant from this reservoir through the outlet opening H6 into a lubricating channel ||8 to lubricate the engaging surfaces of the shackle bolt 6l and its encircling member 120. In this manner fresh, clean, grease is constantly forced into engagement with the bearing surfaces and the used lubricant or lubricant which may have become contaminated by foreign material is constantly forced outwardly from between these bearing surfaces.

In Figure 6 I have shown one type of rigid dischargeA conduit which may be used in lieu of the flexible hose 54 of Figures l-A and l-B. In this gure I have shown a rigid tubular member |22 connected at an angle to the discharge end of the barrel of the lubricant compressor. The tubular member |22 has a flange |24 located in a swiveled sleeve |26 adapted to make a threaded connection with the head |28 of a second rigid tubular member ISI mounted at an angle to the coupler |32. A gasket |34 is interposed betweer-the flange I2! and head |28 to seal the joint therebetween.

While I Ihave shown and described certain features as constituting my invention, it will be understood that parts have been shown for purposes of illustration only, and that I do not desire to be limited to such details, as obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A coupler for connecting a lubricant 'compressor with a nipple for receiving lubricant, said coupler comprising VVa cylinder, a piston movable within the cylinder, and having an aperture for the discharge of lubricant therethrough and an apertured seat for engagement with the end of the nipple, and means carried by the cylinder for while lubricant is passing through said connecting parts. A

2. A coupler for connecting a lubricant compressor with a headed nipple for receiving lubricant, said coupler comprising a cylinder, a piston movable within the cylinder, and having an aperture for the discharge vof lubricant therethrough, an apertured sealing .seat carried by I said piston for engagement with the end of the 10 nipple, connecting the piston aperture with a CLYDE G. BUTLER. 

